Construction underway on South Kent Wind project in Ontario

TORONTO—Work is officially underway on the site of a massive wind energy project in southwestern Ontario.

Samsung Renewable Energy, Inc. and Pattern Energy Group announced they broke ground on the South Kent Wind project in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, located between Windsor, Ont., and London, Ont., on the shores of Lake Erie.

The 270-megawatt project will generate enough energy to power approximately 100,000 Ontario homes, according to the two firms.

“Samsung and Pattern’s South Kent Wind project is a key component of the renewable energy economy we are building here in Chatham-Kent,” Chatham-Kent mayor Randy Hope said in a statement.

“South Kent Wind is generating green energy jobs, increasing the local tax base and driving economic growth in a region known for its vast renewable resource potential.”

Siemens Canada and CS Wind are combing to build 124 turbines for the project, with the blades manufactured at Siemens’ Tillsonburg, Ont., facility, and the towers built at CS Wind’s plant in Windsor.

Ontario-made steel is being used to build the towers, according to Samsung and Pattern.

“Combined, Siemens and CS Wind are expected to create up to 600 jobs in the province,” Siemens Canada wind power vice-president Jacob Andersen said of the turbine construction.

In total, more than 1,000 workers in Ontario will be involved in the project, according to Samsung and Pattern.

“The South Kent Wind project will inject tens of millions of dollars into the economy during the year-long construction period, while utilizing local materials and creating hundreds of local jobs,” said Peter Clibbon, vice-president of development for RES Canada, the project’s general contractor.

According to the firms, compared to coal-fired generation, the project will offset approximately 842,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, the equivalent of taking nearly 148,500 cars off the roads.

The project is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2014.